Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Mugler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Angela, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I have generally always been an innately positive person, but of course as we age and have more life experiences, it is easy to become distrustful, jaded or negative. I began experiencing symptoms of anxiety as a teenager, and unnecessarily had constant fear of losing someone I loved. At the age of 30 I lost my father and it seemed I had proved myself right in those years of fear and worry. I became distrustful, always waiting for the rug to pulled out from underneath me. I was looking for and waiting for the negative, focusing on those experiences instead of seeing all of the good and understanding the fullness of the human experience. As I reached closer to 40, a series of experiences led me to a spiritual awakening of sorts. I began to meditate regularly, quieting my mind and connecting with something that felt bigger than me. I unlocked something that allowed me to look at my fear and anxiety differently by working to live more in the present than in past trauma or future worry. I find peace and optimism in trusting my soul’s path and believing that the universe is on my side. I often turn to the mantra “I am at the right place at the right time doing the the right thing”. There are signs encouraging us on our path all along, and when we live more presently there is a natural feeling of optimism as you realize everything is temporary and always changing, and you turn yourself over to trusting the process.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I began my career in the world of corporate retail as merchant for Abercrombie & Fitch, Levis and Gap. I left corporate world when my twins were born, and launched my first business as a wardrobe stylist with a partner who was also a former merchant. I kept having kids (for a total of 4!), and enjoyed the flexibility, balance and creativity owning my own business gave me. After roughly 10 years of wardrobe styling, I felt a pull to explore other areas of passion and interest. Music has always been a central part of my life as I come from a family of musicians, and my husband and I bonded deeply over our shared love of the art of music. I tried my hand at artist management, but then the pandemic hit and it caused serious derailment for performing artists; especially those who were still emerging. As many of us did during those first few months of lockdown, I looked to find ways to occupy my. mind, my hands and my creativity. I wasn’t much for puzzles, so I began making friendship bracelets with my daughter (like the ones we all used to make at camp as kids). I came across the idea of using bead colors to represent morse code and thus the concept for Off the Record was born! I started just by making bracelets for family and friends, but my wheels kept turning and the brand and it’s purpose felt like something I had to do.
In my Off the Record (OTR) pieces, I combine 3 things that deeply speak to my soul – fashion, music and spirituality. I believe in the power of manifestation and the laws of attraction, My most favorite pieces of jewelry are those that remind of a special place or trip, a person, or a memory. When I wear them I feel that I am drawing the energy of that experience or person closer. Each OTR piece uses bead colors to represent morse code and the messages are ones of light and positivity. I use song lyrics that speak to me and are reminders of those positive messages. By wearing the pieces my hope is that it is a reminder and serves as a law of positive attraction. I have recently expanded into some other fun pieces as well and hope to continue growing and spreading light and joy!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I am a grinder and a hard worker. I am a first-born Capricorn, so it is in my nature to climb the mountain and reach the goal! I am not always the most patient so I am working on that. I believe my background in retail and working for some hugely successful brands helped me to understand the importance of knowing yourself and who you want to be as a brand as well as how to tell your story. My advice for someone starting their journey is to just focus on the next right step. It can be overwhelming when you are looking at the big picture and where you want to be and understanding all the steps it will take to get there. I have experienced that overwhelming feeling many times and when I remind myself to focus on the next right step things fall into place little by little.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am an extravert by nature, and have always worked as part of a team in the past. I do find I tend to work better in collaboration as I love bouncing ideas off each other and having someone to hold me accountable. I see so many possibilities for collections and directions to go with the OTR concept. I’d love to collaborate with artists, musicians, designers or any other creative my brand concept speaks to!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.otrsoul.com
- Instagram: otr.soul
Image Credits
photos by Annette Ferraro Photography
